Graphical user interface for partial amount reductions

ABSTRACT

A machine may be configured to facilitate partial reductions of an amount by generating and providing a graphical user interface that enables a user to specify one or more partial reductions of the amount, thus defining or otherwise controlling how the amount is to be reduced in stages by such partial reductions. For example, in situations where a total amount is to be reduced in stages by multiple partial reductions, the generated and provided graphical user interface may be operable to specify each stage of reduction by enabling the user to select a corresponding account for each stage of reduction. The corresponding account may be selected from among a set of multiple available accounts, each with a respectively corresponding available amount, any portion or all of which may be available to use in that stage of reducing the total amount.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The subject matter disclosed herein generally relates to the technicalfield of special-purpose machines that generate and provide graphicaluser interfaces (GUIs), including software-configured computerizedvariants of such special-purpose machines and improvements to suchvariants, and to the technologies by which such special-purpose machinesbecome improved compared to other special-purpose machines that generateand provide graphical user interfaces. Specifically, the presentdisclosure addresses systems and methods to generate and provide agraphical user interface for partial amount reductions.

BACKGROUND

A machine may be configured to interact with one or more users bygenerating a GUI and providing the generated GUI for interaction withone or more users. For example, the machine may cause the GUI to bepresented (e.g., displayed) to a user, such as via a display screen ofthe machine or via a display screen of a device communicatively coupledto the machine (e.g., by one or more networks). The GUI may be operableto specify or otherwise control how one or more actions (e.g.,transactions) are performed by the machine or otherwise caused by themachine. Accordingly, the machine may be configured to handle user input(e.g., receive, detect, or otherwise access such user input) submittedvia the GUI, and the machine may responsively initiate or otherwisecause one or more actions to be performed (e.g., by the machine, by thedevice, or any suitable combination thereof) based on the user inputsubmitted via the GUI.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Some embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not limitation inthe figures of the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a network diagram illustrating a network environment suitablefor generating and providing a GUI for partial amount reductions,according to some example embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating components of a server machinesuitable for generating and providing a GUI for partial amountreductions, according to some example embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating components of a device suitablefor generating and providing a GUI for partial amount reductions,according to some example embodiments.

FIGS. 4-6 are diagrams of a device presenting a GUI for partial amountreductions, according to some example embodiments.

FIGS. 7-10 are flowcharts illustrating operations of the server machineor the device in performing a method of providing a GUI for partialamount reductions, according to some example embodiments.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating components of a machine,according to some example embodiments, able to read instructions from amachine-readable medium and perform any one or more of the methodologiesdiscussed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Example methods (e.g., algorithms) facilitate generation, provision, orboth, of a GUI operable to specify and initiate partial amountreductions, and example systems (e.g., special-purpose machinesconfigured by special-purpose software) are configured to facilitategeneration, provision, or both, of such a GUI. Examples merely typifypossible variations. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, structures(e.g., structural components, such as modules) are optional and may becombined or subdivided, and operations (e.g., in a procedure, algorithm,or other function) may vary in sequence or be combined or subdivided. Inthe following description, for purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding ofvarious example embodiments. It will be evident to one skilled in theart, however, that the present subject matter may be practiced withoutthese specific details.

In accordance with the example methods and example system discussedherein, a machine may be configured to facilitate partial reductions ofan amount (e.g., a value, a count, or other quantity expressed as anumber, with or without units) by generating and providing a GUI thatenables a user to specify one or more partial reductions of the amount,thus defining or otherwise controlling how a total amount is to bereduced in stages by the partial reductions. For example, in situationswhere a total amount is to be reduced in multiple stages by multiplepartial reductions, the generated and provided GUI may be operable tospecify each individual stage of reduction by enabling the user toselect a corresponding account for each stage of reduction. Thecorresponding account may be selected from among a set of multipleavailable accounts, each with a respectively corresponding availableamount, any portion or all of which may be available to use in thatstage of reducing the total amount. The GUI may be operable todesignate, authorize, or both, a specific account (e.g., authorized anddesignated for this stage of reduction) and a specific amount (e.g.,authorized and designated for this stage of reduction) to be consumedfrom that specific account for use in reducing the total amount.Furthermore, when any given stage of reduction is specified by itscorresponding account and its corresponding amount, the machine mayinitiate or otherwise cause the corresponding partial reduction of thetotal amount to occur (e.g., via a transaction), and the machine mayupdate or otherwise modify the GUI to indicate initiation, execution,completion, or any suitable combination thereof, of that stage ofreduction.

In some example embodiments, the machine generates a GUI that indicatesa total amount to be reduced in stages by multiple partial reductions,and then causes presentation of the GUI (e.g., by the machine or byanother machine, such as a device). The GUI includes multipleauthorization elements (e.g., GUI elements operable to specify anauthorization) that are each separately operable to specify a respectivecorresponding partial reduction among the multiple partial reductionsfor the total amount. The machine responds to a first authorizationelement among the multiple authorization elements of the presented GUIbeing operated to specify a first partial reduction of the total amountalong with a first account, among multiple available accounts, fromwhich to transact a first authorized amount of the first partialreduction, by transacting the first authorized amount from the specifiedfirst account. In response to the transacting of the first authorizedamount from the specified first account, the machine may modify the GUIto indicate the total amount and its partial reduction by at least thefirst authorized amount. Subsequently, the machine responds to a secondauthorization element among the multiple authorization elements beingoperated to specify a second partial reduction of the reduced totalamount along with a second account, among the multiple availableaccounts, from which to transact a second authorized amount of thesecond partial reduction, by transacting the second authorized amountfrom the specified second account. In response to the transacting of thesecond authorized amount from the specified second account, the machinemay modify the GUI to indicate the total amount and its reduction by atleast the first authorized amount and the second authorized amount.

In certain example embodiments, the machine generates a GUI thatindicates a total amount to be reduced in stages by multiple partialreductions, and then causes presentation of the GUI (e.g., by themachine or by another machine, such as by a device). The GUI includesmultiple authorization elements that are each separately operable tospecify a respective corresponding partial reduction among the multiplepartial reductions for the total amount. The machine responds to a firstauthorization element among the multiple authorization elements of thepresented GUI being operated to specify a first partial reduction of thetotal amount along with a first account, among multiple availableaccounts, from which to transact a first authorized amount of the firstpartial reduction, by transacting the first authorized amount from thespecified first account. Moreover, the first account may correspond toan accumulated amount gathered from a periodic series of transactionsauthorized to occur periodically. In response to the transacting of thefirst authorized amount from the specified first account, the machinemay modify the GUI to indicate the total amount and its partialreduction by at least the first authorized amount, which may be takenfrom the accumulated amount gathered from the periodic series oftransactions authorized to occur periodically. Further details aredescribed below.

FIG. 1 is a network diagram illustrating a network environment 100suitable for generating and providing a GUI for partial amountreductions, according to some example embodiments. The networkenvironment 100 includes a server machine 110, a database 115, anddevices 130 and 150, all communicatively coupled to each other via anetwork 190. The server machine 110, with or without the database 115,may form all or part of a cloud 118 (e.g., a geographically distributedset of multiple machines configured to function as a single server),which may form all or part of a network-based system 105 (e.g., acloud-based server system configured to provide one or morenetwork-based services to the devices 130 and 150). The server machine110, the database 115, and the devices 130 and 150 may each beimplemented in a special-purpose (e.g., specialized) computer system, inwhole or in part, as described below with respect to FIG. 11 . Any oneor more of the example methods discussed herein may be performed, infull or in part, by the server machine 110, by one or more of thedevices 130 and 150, or any suitable combination thereof.

Also shown in FIG. 1 are users 132 and 152. One or both of the users 132and 152 may be a human user (e.g., a human being), a machine user (e.g.,a computer configured by a software program to interact with the device130 or 150), or any suitable combination thereof (e.g., a human assistedby a machine or a machine supervised by a human). The user 132 isassociated with the device 130 and may be a user of the device 130. Forexample, the device 130 may be a desktop computer, a vehicle computer, ahome media system (e.g., a home theater system or other homeentertainment system), a tablet computer, a navigational device, aportable media device, a smart phone, or a wearable device (e.g., asmart watch, smart glasses, smart clothing, or smart jewelry) belongingto the user 132. Likewise, the user 152 is associated with the device150 and may be a user of the device 150. As an example, the device 150may be a desktop computer, a vehicle computer, a home media system(e.g., a home theater system or other home entertainment system), atablet computer, a navigational device, a portable media device, a smartphone, or a wearable device (e.g., a smart watch, smart glasses, smartclothing, or smart jewelry) belonging to the user 152.

Any of the systems or machines (e.g., databases and devices) shown inFIG. 1 may be, include, or otherwise be implemented in a special-purpose(e.g., specialized or otherwise non-conventional and non-generic)computer that has been modified to perform one or more of the functionsdescribed herein for that system or machine (e.g., configured orprogrammed by special-purpose software, such as one or more softwaremodules of a special-purpose application, operating system, firmware,middleware, or other software program). For example, a special-purposecomputer system able to implement any one or more of the methodologiesdescribed herein is discussed below with respect to FIG. 11 , and such aspecial-purpose computer may accordingly be a means for performing anyone or more of the methodologies discussed herein. Within the technicalfield of such special-purpose computers, a special-purpose computer thathas been specially modified (e.g., configured by special-purposesoftware) by the structures discussed herein to perform the functionsdiscussed herein is technically improved compared to otherspecial-purpose computers that lack the structures discussed herein orare otherwise unable to perform the functions discussed herein.Accordingly, a special-purpose machine configured according to thesystems and methods discussed herein provides an improvement to thetechnology of similar special-purpose machines.

As used herein, a “database” is a data storage resource and may storedata structured in any of various ways, for example, as a text file, atable, a spreadsheet, a relational database (e.g., an object-relationaldatabase), a triple store, a hierarchical data store, a documentdatabase, a graph database, key-value pairs, or any suitable combinationthereof. Moreover, any two or more of the systems or machinesillustrated in FIG. 1 may be combined into a single system or machine,and the functions described herein for any single system or machine maybe subdivided among multiple systems or machines.

The network 190 may be any network that enables communication between oramong systems, machines, databases, and devices (e.g., between theserver machine 110 and the device 130). Accordingly, the network 190 maybe a wired network, a wireless network (e.g., a mobile or cellularnetwork), or any suitable combination thereof. The network 190 mayinclude one or more portions that constitute a private network, a publicnetwork (e.g., the Internet), or any suitable combination thereof.Accordingly, the network 190 may include one or more portions thatincorporate a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), theInternet, a mobile telephone network (e.g., a cellular network), a wiredtelephone network (e.g., a plain old telephone service (POTS) network),a wireless data network (e.g., a WiFi network or WiMax network), or anysuitable combination thereof. Any one or more portions of the network190 may communicate information via a transmission medium. As usedherein, “transmission medium” refers to any intangible (e.g.,transitory) medium that is capable of communicating (e.g., transmitting)instructions for execution by a machine (e.g., by one or more processorsof such a machine), and includes digital or analog communication signalsor other intangible media to facilitate communication of such software.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating components of the server machine110, suitably configured for generating and providing a GUI for partialamount reductions, according to some example embodiments. The servermachine 110 is shown as including a GUI generator 210 (e.g., a GUImodule or suitable code configured to generate a GUI), an input handler220 (e.g., an input module or suitable code configured to handle userinput), and a transaction manager 230 (e.g., a transaction module orsuitable code configured to manage one or more transactions), allconfigured to communicate with each other (e.g., via a bus, sharedmemory, or a switch).

As shown in FIG. 2 , the GUI generator 210, the input handler 220, andthe transaction manager 230 may form all or part of an app 200 (e.g., aserver app) that is stored (e.g., installed) on the server machine 110(e.g., responsive to or otherwise as a result of data being received viathe network 190). Furthermore, one or more processors 299 (e.g.,hardware processors, digital processors, or any suitable combinationthereof) may be included (e.g., temporarily or permanently) in the app200 the GUI generator 210, the input handler 220, the transactionmanager 230, or any suitable combination thereof.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating components of the device 130,suitably configured for generating and providing a GUI for partialamount reductions, according to some example embodiments. The device 130is shown as including an instance of the GUI generator 210 (e.g., a GUImodule or suitable code configured to generate a GUI), an instance ofthe input handler 220 (e.g., an input module or suitable code configuredto handle user input), and an instance of the transaction manager 230(e.g., a transaction module or suitable code configured to manage one ormore transactions), all configured to communicate with each other (e.g.,via a bus, shared memory, or a switch).

As shown in FIG. 3 , the GUI generator 210, the input handler 220, andthe transaction manager 230 may form all or part of an instance of theapp 200 (e.g., a mobile app) that is stored (e.g., installed) on thedevice 130 (e.g., responsive to or otherwise as a result of data beingreceived via the network 190). Furthermore, one or more processors 299(e.g., hardware processors, digital processors, or any suitablecombination thereof) may be included (e.g., temporarily or permanently)in one or more instances of the app 200, the GUI generator 210, theinput handler 220, the transaction manager 230, or any suitablecombination thereof.

Any one or more of the components (e.g., modules) described herein maybe implemented using hardware alone (e.g., one or more of the processors299) or a combination of hardware and software. For example, anycomponent described herein may physically include an arrangement of oneor more of the processors 299 (e.g., a subset of or among the processors299) configured to perform the operations described herein for thatcomponent. As another example, any component described herein mayinclude software, hardware, or both, that configure an arrangement ofone or more of the processors 299 to perform the operations describedherein for that component. Accordingly, different components describedherein may include and configure different arrangements of theprocessors 299 at different points in time or a single arrangement ofthe processors 299 at different points in time. Each component (e.g.,module) described herein is an example of a means for performing theoperations described herein for that component. Moreover, any two ormore components described herein may be combined into a singlecomponent, and the functions described herein for a single component maybe subdivided among multiple components. Furthermore, according tovarious example embodiments, components described herein as beingimplemented within a single system or machine (e.g., a single device)may be distributed across multiple systems or machines (e.g., multipledevices).

FIGS. 4-6 are diagrams of the device 130 presenting a GUI 400 forpartial amount reductions, according to some example embodiments. Asshown in FIG. 4 , the GUI 400 enables a user (e.g., user 132 of thedevice 130) to specify multiple partial reductions of an initial totalamount 410, thus defining or otherwise controlling how the initial totalamount 410 is to be reduced in stages by the multiple partialreductions. For example, a list 402 of items may indicate one or moreitems, and each of the one or more items may be indicated along with acorresponding item amount, such that a sum of these item amounts equalsthe initial total amount 410. Generation, provision, presentation, andoperation of the GUI 400 may accordingly be appropriate in situationswhere the initial total amount 410 is to be reduced in multiple stagesby multiple partial reductions.

To address such situations, the GUI 400 includes a set of authorizationelements 430, 432, and 434. Each one of these authorization elements430, 432, and 434 is operable by the user (e.g., user 132) to specifyone or more details for a respectively corresponding individual stage ofreduction among the multiple stages of reduction. For example, theauthorization element 430 is operable to select or otherwise specify acorresponding account (e.g., a first account) and a correspondingauthorized amount 431 (e.g., a first authorized amount) of reduction,which designates and authorizes that account (e.g., the first account)for use in the corresponding stage (e.g., a first stage) of reducing theinitial total amount 410 by the corresponding authorized amount 431(e.g., the first authorized amount).

Similarly, the authorization element 432 is operable to select orotherwise specify a corresponding account (e.g., a second account) and acorresponding authorized amount 433 (e.g., a second authorized amount)of reduction, which designates and authorizes that account (e.g., thesecond account) for use in the corresponding stage (e.g., a secondstage) of reducing the initial total amount 410 by the correspondingauthorized amount 433 (e.g., the second authorized amount). Likewise,the authorization element 434 is operable to select or otherwise specifya corresponding account (e.g., a third account) and a correspondingauthorized amount 435 (e.g., a third authorized amount) of reduction,which designates and authorizes that account (e.g., the third account)for use in the corresponding stage (e.g., a third stage) of reducing theinitial total amount 410 by the corresponding authorized amount 435(e.g., the third authorized amount).

In the operation of any authorization element (e.g., authorizationelement 430) for the GUI 400, the corresponding account may be specifiedby user selection from among a set of multiple available accounts, eachwith a respectively corresponding available amount, some or all of whichmay be available to use in the corresponding stage (e.g., the firststage) of reducing the initial total amount 410. Accordingly, as shownin FIG. 5 , operation of the authorization element 434 may cause the GUI400 to present a menu 500 (e.g., as a pop-up window, a pull-down menu,or any other suitable selection interface). The menu 500 includes andindicates that accounts 510, 520, and 530 are available for use inspecifying at least one partial reduction of the initial total amount410, namely, at least the partial reduction that corresponds to theoperated authorization element 434.

Furthermore, the menu 500 includes and indicates that the availableaccount 510 corresponds to an available amount 512, some or all of whichmay be used to set or otherwise specify the corresponding authorizedamount 431 for the authorization element 430. Similarly, the menu 500includes and indicates that the available account 520 corresponds to anavailable amount 522, some or all of which may be used to specify thecorresponding authorized amount 431 for the authorization element 430,and the menu 500 includes and indicates that the available account 530corresponds to an available amount 532, some or all of which may be usedto specify the corresponding authorized amount 431 for the authorizationelement 430.

The user 132 may operate the menu 500 to select, for example, theavailable account 510 by activating (e.g., tapping or clicking) theavailable account 510 or its available amount 512. Once the availableaccount 510 is selected (e.g., designated, authorized, or both) for usewith the authorization element 434, the GUI 400 may close the menu 500and return to the appearance shown in FIG. 4 . Thus, the GUI 400 may beoperable to specify (e.g., designate, authorize, or both) a specificaccount (e.g., authorized and designated for this stage of reduction)and a specific amount (e.g., authorized and designated for this stage ofreduction) to be consumed from that specific account for use in reducingthe total amount (e.g., the initial total amount 410).

Furthermore, when any given stage of reduction is specified by itscorresponding account and its corresponding amount, the machine maypromptly (e.g., immediately) initiate or otherwise cause thecorresponding partial reduction of the total amount to occur (e.g., viaa transaction), and the machine may update or otherwise modify the GUIto indicate initiation, execution, completion, or any suitablecombination thereof, of that stage of reduction. Accordingly, accordingto various example embodiments of the GUI 400, the user 132 maysequentially specify (e.g., designate and authorize) a series of partialreductions of the initial total amount 410, and each one of thesepartial reductions may be caused to be executed or otherwise transactedpromptly upon becoming specified (e.g., by a corresponding authorizationelement, such as the authorization element 430) within the GUI 400. Thismay contrast with example embodiments in which multiple partialreductions are specified as a batch without causing their correspondingtransactions to occur yet, with such transactions occurring as a batchonly after operation of a control element configured to initiate such abatch execution of the specified transactions.

In various example embodiments, any one or more authorization elements(e.g., authorization element 430) is further operable to undo (e.g.,cancel, delete, void, or reverse) the partial reduction that wasspecified earlier via that authorization element. For example, such anauthorization element may include or appear with an icon that isoperable to initiate an undo operation for the previously specifiedpartial reduction of the total amount. After activation of such an icon,the authorization element may cause the previously specified partialreduction to be cancelled, deleted, voided, or reversed (e.g., promptlyupon activation of the icon). Furthermore, the authorization element mayreturn to a state (e.g., with blanked fields) of being operable tospecify a corresponding partial reduction of the total amount.

In certain example embodiments, any one or more authorization element(e.g., authorization element 430) is additionally operable to modify(e.g., edit or change) the partial reduction that was specified earliervia that authorization element. For example, such an authorizationelement may include or appear with an icon that is operable to initiatean edit operation for the previously specified partial reduction of thetotal amount. After completion of such an edit operation, theauthorization element may undo the previously specified partialreduction of the total amount and instead cause the edited partialreduction to be executed or otherwise transacted (e.g., promptly uponbecoming specified by the edit operation).

In some example embodiments, the GUI 400 is modified (e.g., updated)after each stage of reduction for the initial total amount 410. Forexample, after the authorization element 434 (e.g., a thirdauthorization element) is operated by the user 132 to specify acorresponding stage (e.g., a third stage) of reduction for the initialtotal amount 410, the GUI 400 may be updated to have the appearanceshown in FIG. 6 , with a current total amount 620 displayed to indicatean extent of progress made by the executed or otherwise transactedpartial reductions specified thus far in the GUI 400 (e.g., by operationof the authorization elements 430, 432, and 434, and setting orotherwise specifying their corresponding authorized amounts 431, 433,and 435, respectively). The displaying of the current total amount 620may thus indicate how much of the initial total amount 410 remains to bereduced by one or more further stages of reduction. In many situations,the user 132, an operator of the server machine 110, or both, find ithelpful to reduce the initial total amount 410 to zero, via multiplepartial reductions to be specified by operation of the GUI 400.

As also shown in FIG. 6 , when displaying the current total amount 620(e.g., with or without concurrent display of the initial total amount410), the GUI 400 may include one or more additional authorizationelements 636 and 638, with or without respectively correspondingadditional authorized amounts 637 and 639. Similar to the previouslydiscussed authorized amounts 431, 433, and 435, one or more of theadditional authorized amounts 637 and 639 may be operable to select orotherwise specify an authorized amount of reduction for thecorresponding stage of reduction.

FIGS. 7-10 are flowcharts illustrating operations of the server machine110 or the device 130 in performing a method 700 of providing the GUI400 for partial amount reductions, according to some exampleembodiments. Operations in the method 700 may be performed by the servermachine 110, the device 130, or a combination of both, using components(e.g., modules) described above with respect to FIGS. 2 and 3 , usingone or more processors (e.g., processors 299 or other hardwareprocessors, such as microprocessors), or using any suitable combinationthereof.

In some example embodiments, by promptly causing transaction (e.g.,execution) of each partial reduction at each stage of reduction, the GUI400 is robust and withstands accidental or deliberate interruptions(e.g., in network connectivity) as the user 132 specifies variousdetails for multiple stages of reduction for the initial total amount410. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 7 , some example embodiments of themethod 700 include operations 710, 720, 730, 740, and 750.

In operation 710, the GUI generator 210 generates the GUI 400. As notedabove, the generated GUI 400 indicates a total amount (e.g., initialtotal amount 410) to be reduced in stages by multiple partialreductions, and then causes presentation of the GUI 400 (e.g., displayof the GUI 400 by the server machine 110, by the device 130, or by adisplay screen communicatively coupled thereto). As noted above, the GUI400 includes multiple authorization elements (e.g., authorizationelements 430, 432, and 434) that are each separately operable to specifya respective corresponding partial reduction among the multiple partialreductions for the total amount (e.g., the initial total amount 410)indicated by the GUI 400.

In operation 720, the transaction manager 230 responds to a firstauthorization element (e.g., authorization element 434) being operatedto specify a first partial reduction of the total amount (e.g., theinitial total amount 410) along with a first account (e.g., availableaccount 510) from which to transact a first authorized amount (e.g.,authorized amount 435 for the authorization element 434) of the firstpartial reduction. Specifically, the response of the transaction manager230 is or includes transacting (e.g., executing) the first authorizedamount (e.g., authorized amount 435) from the specified first account(e.g., available account 510). As discussed below, the input handler 220may have previously detected the operation of the first authorizationelement (e.g., authorization element 434) prior to the response theretoby the transaction manager 230 here in operation 720.

In operation 730, in response to the transacting of the first authorizedamount (e.g., authorized amount 435) from the specified first account(e.g., available account 510), the GUI generator 210 modifies (e.g.,updates) the GUI 400 to indicate the total amount (e.g., initial totalamount 410) and its partial reduction by at least the first authorizedamount (e.g., by displaying the first authorized amount, the currenttotal amount 620, or both).

In operation 740, the transaction manager 230 responds to a secondauthorization element (e.g., authorization element 636) being operatedto specify a second partial reduction of the reduced total amount (e.g.,current total amount 620) along with a second account (e.g., availableaccount 520) from which to transact a second authorized amount (e.g.,authorized amount 637 for the authorization element 636) of the secondpartial reduction. Specifically, the response of the transaction manager230 is or includes transacting (e.g., executing) the second authorizedamount (e.g., authorized amount 637) from the specified second account(e.g., authorized account 520). As discussed below, the input handler220 may have previously detected the operation of the secondauthorization element (e.g., authorization element 636) prior to theresponse thereto by the transaction manager 230 here in operation 740.

In operation 750, in response to the transacting of the secondauthorized amount (e.g., authorized amount 637) from the specifiedsecond account (e.g., available account 510), the GUI generator 210modifies (e.g., updates) the GUI 400 to indicate the total amount (e.g.,initial total amount 410, current total amount 620, or both) and itsfull or partial reduction by at least the first authorized amount andthe second authorized amount (e.g., by displaying the first authorizedamount, the second authorized amount, a sum thereof, an updated versionof the current total amount 620, or any suitable combination thereof).

As shown in FIG. 8 , in addition to any one or more of the operationspreviously described, the method 700 may include one or more ofoperations 810, 820, 830, 832, and 834, which facilitate the robustnessof the GUI 400 to a network interruption, in the example form of atermination of one network session and a subsequent initiation ofanother network session.

Operation 810 is shown as being performed after operation 710 and beforeoperation 720. In operation 810, the input handler 220 receives anindication, or otherwise detects, that the first authorization element(e.g., authorization element 434) among the multiple authorizationelements (e.g., authorization elements 430, 432, and 434) of thepresented GUI 400 has been operated (e.g., by the user 132) to specifythe first partial reduction of the total amount (e.g., the initial totalamount 410) and to specify the first account (e.g., available account510), among multiple available accounts (e.g., available accounts 510,520, and 530), from which to transact the first authorized amount (e.g.,authorized amount 431 for the authorization element 430) of the firstpartial reduction.

Operation 820 is shown in FIG. 8 as being performed after operation 720and before operation 730. In operation 820, the input handler 220receives an indication, or otherwise detects, that the GUI 400 has beenclosed after the transacting of the first authorized amount (e.g.,authorized amount 435) from the specified first account (e.g., availableaccount 510). The detected closure of the GUI 400 may indicate atermination of a first network session during which operation 710 wasperformed.

Operations 830, 832, and 834 are shown in FIG. 8 as being performedafter operation 730 and before operation 740. In operation 830, the GUIgenerator 210 receives an indication, or otherwise detects, that asecond network session has been initiated. In operation 832, in responseto the detected initiation of the second network session after themodifying of the GUI 400 (e.g., in operation 730) to indicate the totalamount (e.g., initial total amount 410, current total amount 620, orboth) and its partial reduction by at least the first authorized amount(e.g., authorized amount 435), the GUI generator 210 causes a launch(e.g., initiation of a presentation) of the GUI 400, which has beenmodified to indicate the total amount and its partial reduction by atleast the first authorized amount.

In some example embodiments, the closure of the GUI 400 (e.g., asdetected in operation 820) indicates the termination of the firstnetwork session at a first device (e.g., device 130), and the initiationof the second network session (e.g., as detected in operation 830)occurs at the same first device (e.g., device 130) at which the firstnetwork session terminated. Accordingly, the user 132 may operate theGUI 400 under one network session using the device 130 and latercontinue operating the same GUI 400 under another network session usingthe same device 130.

In other example embodiments, the closure of the GUI 400 (e.g., asdetected in operation 820) indicates the termination of the firstnetwork session at the first device (e.g., device 130), but theinitiation of the second network session (e.g., as detected in operation830) occurs at a different, second device (e.g., device 150) that isdistinct from the first device at which the first network sessionterminated. Accordingly, the user 132 may operate the GUI 400 under onenetwork session using the device 130 and later continue operating thesame GUI 400 under another network session using a different device 150.

In operation 834, the input handler 220 receives an indication, orotherwise detects, that the second authorization element (e.g.,authorization element 636) among the multiple authorization elements(e.g., authorization elements 430, 432, 434, and 636) of the presentedGUI 400 has been operated (e.g., by the user 132) to specify the secondpartial reduction of the total amount (e.g., current total amount 620,which has been reduced from the initial total amount 410) and to specifythe second account (e.g., available account 520), among multipleavailable accounts (e.g., available accounts 520 and 530), from which totransact the second authorized amount (e.g., authorized amount 637) ofthe second partial reduction. The detection of the operation of thesecond authorization element (e.g., authorization element 636) may serveas a basis for performance of operation 740, as described above.

Turning to FIG. 9 , in certain example embodiments, one or more of theavailable accounts (e.g., available account 510) is an accumulatedaccount, and its corresponding available amount (e.g., available amount512) is an accumulated amount that has been accumulated (e.g., gathered,collected, or saved up) from a periodic series of transactions that havebeen authorized to occur periodically (e.g., in exchange for asubscription to something). For example, the user 132 may havepreviously subscribed to a periodic (e.g., weekly, monthly,semi-monthly, quarterly, or annually) subscription in which a periodictransaction of a periodic amount is authorized to occur, such that ineach periodic transaction, the periodic amount is added to theaccumulated amount of the accumulated account. Although these periodictransactions may have been authorized for the subscription, the menu 500of the GUI 400 may include the accumulated account (e.g., availableaccount 510) and thus indicate that the accumulated account is availablefor repurposed or otherwise redirected usage as an available account(e.g., available account 510) for the corresponding stage of reductionfor the initial total amount 410 (e.g., as well as for the current totalamount 620). Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 9 , some example embodimentsof the method 700 include operations 710, 720, and 730, with someadditional details to accommodate usage of an accumulated account (e.g.,available account 510) and its accumulated amount (e.g., availableamount 512).

In operation 710, as described above, the GUI generator 210 generatesthe GUI 400. Here again, the generated GUI 400 indicates a total amount(e.g., initial total amount 410) to be reduced in stages by multiplepartial reductions, and then causes presentation of the GUI 400 (e.g.,display of the GUI 400 by the server machine 110, by the device 130, orby a display screen communicatively coupled thereto). As before, the GUI400 includes multiple authorization elements (e.g., authorizationelements 430, 432, and 434) that are each separately operable to specifya respective corresponding partial reduction among the multiple partialreductions for the total amount (e.g., the initial total amount 410)indicated by the GUI 400. However, to facilitate usage of an accumulatedamount from an accumulated account, the first account is the accumulatedaccount and thus corresponds to the accumulated amount.

In operation 720, as described above, the transaction manager 230responds to a first authorization element (e.g., authorization element434) being operated to specify a first partial reduction of the totalamount (e.g., the initial total amount 410) along with a first account(e.g., available account 510, which is an accumulated account in suchexample embodiments) from which to transact a first authorized amount(e.g., authorized amount 435, which is taken from the accumulated amountin such example embodiments) of the first partial reduction.Specifically, the response of the transaction manager 230 is or includestransacting (e.g., executing) the first authorized amount (e.g.,authorized amount 435) from the specified first account (e.g., availableaccount 510). As discussed above with respect to operation 810, theinput handler 220 may have previously detected the operation of thefirst authorization element (e.g., authorization element 434) prior tothe response thereto by the transaction manager 230 here in operation720.

In operation 730, as described above, in response to the transacting ofthe first authorized amount (e.g., authorized amount 435) from thespecified first account (e.g., available account 510), the GUI generator210 modifies (e.g., updates) the GUI 400 to indicate the total amount(e.g., initial total amount 410) and its partial reduction by at leastthe first authorized amount (e.g., by displaying the first authorizedamount, the current total amount 620, or both), which in such exampleembodiments is taken from the accumulated amount gathered from theperiodic series of transactions authorized to occur periodically.

As shown in FIG. 10 , in addition to any one or more of the operationspreviously described, the method 700 may include one or more ofoperations 1020, 1022, and 1023. Operation 1020 may be performed as part(e.g., a precursor task, a subroutine, or a portion) of operation 720,in which the transaction manager 230 transacts (e.g., executes) thefirst authorized amount (e.g., authorized amount 435) from the specifiedfirst account (e.g., available account 510, which in these exampleembodiments is an accumulated account). In operation 1020, thetransaction manager 230 reduces the accumulated amount of theaccumulated account by the first authorized amount (e.g., authorizedamount 435), thus completing the specified redirection of some or all ofthe accumulated amount toward making a partial reduction of the totalamount (e.g., initial total amount 410).

Operation 1022 is shown as being performed after operation 720 andbefore operation 730. In operation 1022, the transaction manager 230responds to the reducing of the accumulated amount in operation 1020 bysuspending the periodic series of transactions, thus discontinuing(e.g., temporarily or permanently) the previously authorized periodicadditions into the accumulated account that was previously authorized(e.g., earmarked or otherwise designated) to be exchanged for thesubscription to the periodic item.

Operation 1023 may be performed as part (e.g., a precursor task, asubroutine, or a portion) of operation 1022. In operation 1023, thetransaction manager 230 responds to the reducing of the accumulatedamount in operation 1022 by suspending the subscription to the periodicitem, thus discontinuing (e.g., temporarily or permanently) thesubscription's benefits (e.g., the periodic item) that previously wouldhave been provided in exchange for the accumulated amount in theaccumulated account, had some or all of the accumulated amount not beenredirected toward making a partial reduction of the total amount (e.g.,initial total amount 410).

According to various example embodiments, one or more of themethodologies described herein may facilitate generation, provision,operation, or any suitable combination thereof, of the GUI 400, which isoperable to specify, initiate, and complete multiple partial reductionsof a total amount (e.g., initial total amount 410). Moreover, one ormore of the methodologies described herein may facilitate promptcausation of a corresponding transaction for each specified partialreduction, which may have the effect of providing robustness toaccidental or intentional disruptions in one or more network sessions.Furthermore, one or more of the methodologies described herein mayfacilitate reallocation or other redirection of an accumulated amountthat has been previously allocated or otherwise authorized for aperiodic subscription to be instead applied to one or more of thespecified partial reductions of the total amount. Hence, one or more ofthe methodologies described herein may facilitate convenient, flexible,interruptible, and reliable execution of transactions that fulfill thespecified partial reductions of the total amount, compared tocapabilities of pre-existing systems and methods.

When these effects are considered in aggregate, one or more of themethodologies described herein may obviate a need for certain efforts orresources that otherwise would be involved in facilitating such partialreductions of total amounts. Efforts expended by a user in conducting asequential series of individual transactions to reduce a total amount instages may be reduced by use of (e.g., reliance upon) a special-purposemachine that implements one or more of the methodologies describedherein. Computing resources used by one or more systems or machines(e.g., within the network environment 100) may similarly be reduced(e.g., compared to systems or machines that lack the structuresdiscussed herein or are otherwise unable to perform the functionsdiscussed herein). Examples of such computing resources includeprocessor cycles, network traffic, computational capacity, main memoryusage, graphics rendering capacity, graphics memory usage, data storagecapacity, power consumption, and cooling capacity.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating components of a machine 1100,according to some example embodiments, able to read instructions 1124from a machine-readable medium 122 (e.g., a non-transitorymachine-readable medium, a machine-readable storage medium, acomputer-readable storage medium, or any suitable combination thereof)and perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein, inwhole or in part. Specifically, FIG. 11 shows the machine 1100 in theexample form of a computer system (e.g., a computer) within which theinstructions 1124 (e.g., software, a program, an application, an applet,an app, or other executable code) for causing the machine 1100 toperform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein may beexecuted, in whole or in part.

In alternative embodiments, the machine 1100 operates as a standalonedevice or may be communicatively coupled (e.g., networked) to othermachines. In a networked deployment, the machine 1100 may operate in thecapacity of a server machine or a client machine in a server-clientnetwork environment, or as a peer machine in a distributed (e.g.,peer-to-peer) network environment. The machine 1100 may be a servercomputer, a client computer, a personal computer (PC), a tabletcomputer, a laptop computer, a netbook, a cellular telephone, a smartphone, a set-top box (STB), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a webappliance, a network router, a network switch, a network bridge, or anymachine capable of executing the instructions 1124, sequentially orotherwise, that specify actions to be taken by that machine. Further,while only a single machine is illustrated, the term “machine” shallalso be taken to include any collection of machines that individually orjointly execute the instructions 1124 to perform all or part of any oneor more of the methodologies discussed herein.

The machine 1100 includes a processor 1102 (e.g., one or more centralprocessing units (CPUs), one or more graphics processing units (GPUs),one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), one or more applicationspecific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more radio-frequencyintegrated circuits (RFICs), or any suitable combination thereof), amain memory 1104, and a static memory 1106, which are configured tocommunicate with each other via a bus 1108. The processor 1102 containssolid-state digital microcircuits (e.g., electronic, optical, or both)that are configurable, temporarily or permanently, by some or all of theinstructions 1124 such that the processor 1102 is configurable toperform any one or more of the methodologies described herein, in wholeor in part. For example, a set of one or more microcircuits of theprocessor 1102 may be configurable to execute one or more modules (e.g.,software modules) described herein. In some example embodiments, theprocessor 1102 is a multicore CPU (e.g., a dual-core CPU, a quad-coreCPU, an 8-core CPU, or a 128-core CPU) within which each of multiplecores behaves as a separate processor that is able to perform any one ormore of the methodologies discussed herein, in whole or in part.Although the beneficial effects described herein may be provided by themachine 1100 with at least the processor 1102, these same beneficialeffects may be provided by a different kind of machine that contains noprocessors (e.g., a purely mechanical system, a purely hydraulic system,or a hybrid mechanical-hydraulic system), if such a processor-lessmachine is configured to perform one or more of the methodologiesdescribed herein.

The machine 1100 may further include a graphics display 1110 (e.g., aplasma display panel (PDP), a light emitting diode (LED) display, aliquid crystal display (LCD), a projector, a cathode ray tube (CRT), orany other display capable of displaying graphics or video). The machine1100 may also include an alphanumeric input device 1112 (e.g., akeyboard or keypad), a pointer input device 1114 (e.g., a mouse, atouchpad, a touchscreen, a trackball, a joystick, a stylus, a motionsensor, an eye tracking device, a data glove, or other pointinginstrument), a data storage 1116, an audio generation device 1118 (e.g.,a sound card, an amplifier, a speaker, a headphone jack, or any suitablecombination thereof), and a network interface device 1120.

The data storage 1116 (e.g., a data storage device) includes themachine-readable medium 1122 (e.g., a tangible and non-transitorymachine-readable storage medium) on which are stored the instructions1124 embodying any one or more of the methodologies or functionsdescribed herein. The instructions 1124 may also reside, completely orat least partially, within the main memory 1104, within the staticmemory 1106, within the processor 1102 (e.g., within the processor'scache memory), or any suitable combination thereof, before or duringexecution thereof by the machine 1100. Accordingly, the main memory1104, the static memory 1106, and the processor 1102 may be consideredmachine-readable media (e.g., tangible and non-transitorymachine-readable media). The instructions 1124 may be transmitted orreceived over the network 190 via the network interface device 1120. Forexample, the network interface device 1120 may communicate theinstructions 1124 using any one or more transfer protocols (e.g.,hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP)).

In some example embodiments, the machine 1100 may be a portablecomputing device (e.g., a smart phone, a tablet computer, or a wearabledevice) and may have one or more additional input components 1130 (e.g.,sensors or gauges). Examples of such input components 1130 include animage input component (e.g., one or more cameras), an audio inputcomponent (e.g., one or more microphones), a direction input component(e.g., a compass), a location input component (e.g., a globalpositioning system (GPS) receiver), an orientation component (e.g., agyroscope), a motion detection component (e.g., one or moreaccelerometers), an altitude detection component (e.g., an altimeter), atemperature input component (e.g., a thermometer), and a gas detectioncomponent (e.g., a gas sensor). Input data gathered by any one or moreof these input components 1130 may be accessible and available for useby any of the modules described herein (e.g., with suitable privacynotifications and protections, such as opt-in consent or opt-outconsent, implemented in accordance with user preference, applicableregulations, or any suitable combination thereof).

As used herein, the term “memory” refers to a machine-readable mediumable to store data temporarily or permanently and may be taken toinclude, but not be limited to, random-access memory (RAM), read-onlymemory (ROM), buffer memory, flash memory, and cache memory. While themachine-readable medium 1122 is shown in an example embodiment to be asingle medium, the term “machine-readable medium” should be taken toinclude a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized ordistributed database, or associated caches and servers) able to storeinstructions. The term “machine-readable medium” shall also be taken toinclude any medium, or combination of multiple media, that is capable ofcarrying (e.g., storing or communicating) the instructions 1124 forexecution by the machine 1100, such that the instructions 1124, whenexecuted by one or more processors of the machine 1100 (e.g., processor1102), cause the machine 1100 to perform any one or more of themethodologies described herein, in whole or in part. Accordingly, a“machine-readable medium” refers to a single storage apparatus ordevice, as well as cloud-based storage systems or storage networks thatinclude multiple storage apparatus or devices. The term“machine-readable medium” shall accordingly be taken to include, but notbe limited to, one or more tangible and non-transitory data repositories(e.g., data volumes) in the example form of a solid-state memory chip,an optical disc, a magnetic disc, or any suitable combination thereof.

A “non-transitory” machine-readable medium, as used herein, specificallyexcludes propagating signals per se. According to various exampleembodiments, the instructions 1124 for execution by the machine 1100 canbe communicated via a carrier medium (e.g., a machine-readable carriermedium). Examples of such a carrier medium include a non-transientcarrier medium (e.g., a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium,such as a solid-state memory that is physically movable from one placeto another place) and a transient carrier medium (e.g., a carrier waveor other propagating signal that communicates the instructions 1124).

Certain example embodiments are described herein as including modules.Modules may constitute software modules (e.g., code stored or otherwiseembodied in a machine-readable medium or in a transmission medium),hardware modules, or any suitable combination thereof. A “hardwaremodule” is a tangible (e.g., non-transitory) physical component (e.g., aset of one or more processors) capable of performing certain operationsand may be configured or arranged in a certain physical manner. Invarious example embodiments, one or more computer systems or one or morehardware modules thereof may be configured by software (e.g., anapplication or portion thereof) as a hardware module that operates toperform operations described herein for that module.

In some example embodiments, a hardware module may be implementedmechanically, electronically, hydraulically, or any suitable combinationthereof. For example, a hardware module may include dedicated circuitryor logic that is permanently configured to perform certain operations. Ahardware module may be or include a special-purpose processor, such as afield programmable gate array (FPGA) or an ASIC. A hardware module mayalso include programmable logic or circuitry that is temporarilyconfigured by software to perform certain operations. As an example, ahardware module may include software encompassed within a CPU or otherprogrammable processor. It will be appreciated that the decision toimplement a hardware module mechanically, hydraulically, in dedicatedand permanently configured circuitry, or in temporarily configuredcircuitry (e.g., configured by software) may be driven by cost and timeconsiderations.

Accordingly, the phrase “hardware module” should be understood toencompass a tangible entity that may be physically constructed,permanently configured (e.g., hardwired), or temporarily configured(e.g., programmed) to operate in a certain manner or to perform certainoperations described herein. Furthermore, as used herein, the phrase“hardware-implemented module” refers to a hardware module. Consideringexample embodiments in which hardware modules are temporarily configured(e.g., programmed), each of the hardware modules need not be configuredor instantiated at any one instance in time. For example, where ahardware module includes a CPU configured by software to become aspecial-purpose processor, the CPU may be configured as respectivelydifferent special-purpose processors (e.g., each included in a differenthardware module) at different times. Software (e.g., a software module)may accordingly configure one or more processors, for example, to becomeor otherwise constitute a particular hardware module at one instance oftime and to become or otherwise constitute a different hardware moduleat a different instance of time.

Hardware modules can provide information to, and receive informationfrom, other hardware modules. Accordingly, the described hardwaremodules may be regarded as being communicatively coupled. Where multiplehardware modules exist contemporaneously, communications may be achievedthrough signal transmission (e.g., over circuits and buses) between oramong two or more of the hardware modules. In embodiments in whichmultiple hardware modules are configured or instantiated at differenttimes, communications between such hardware modules may be achieved, forexample, through the storage and retrieval of information in memorystructures to which the multiple hardware modules have access. Forexample, one hardware module may perform an operation and store theoutput of that operation in a memory (e.g., a memory device) to which itis communicatively coupled. A further hardware module may then, at alater time, access the memory to retrieve and process the stored output.Hardware modules may also initiate communications with input or outputdevices, and can operate on a resource (e.g., a collection ofinformation from a computing resource).

The various operations of example methods described herein may beperformed, at least partially, by one or more processors that aretemporarily configured (e.g., by software) or permanently configured toperform the relevant operations. Whether temporarily or permanentlyconfigured, such processors may constitute processor-implemented modulesthat operate to perform one or more operations or functions describedherein. As used herein, “processor-implemented module” refers to ahardware module in which the hardware includes one or more processors.Accordingly, the operations described herein may be at least partiallyprocessor-implemented, hardware-implemented, or both, since a processoris an example of hardware, and at least some operations within any oneor more of the methods discussed herein may be performed by one or moreprocessor-implemented modules, hardware-implemented modules, or anysuitable combination thereof.

Moreover, such one or more processors may perform operations in a “cloudcomputing” environment or as a service (e.g., within a “software as aservice” (SaaS) implementation). For example, at least some operationswithin any one or more of the methods discussed herein may be performedby a group of computers (e.g., as examples of machines that includeprocessors), with these operations being accessible via a network (e.g.,the Internet) and via one or more appropriate interfaces (e.g., anapplication program interface (API)). The performance of certainoperations may be distributed among the one or more processors, whetherresiding only within a single machine or deployed across a number ofmachines. In some example embodiments, the one or more processors orhardware modules (e.g., processor-implemented modules) may be located ina single geographic location (e.g., within a home environment, an officeenvironment, or a server farm). In other example embodiments, the one ormore processors or hardware modules may be distributed across a numberof geographic locations.

Throughout this specification, plural instances may implementcomponents, operations, or structures described as a single instance.Although individual operations of one or more methods are illustratedand described as separate operations, one or more of the individualoperations may be performed concurrently, and nothing requires that theoperations be performed in the order illustrated. Structures and theirfunctionality presented as separate components and functions in exampleconfigurations may be implemented as a combined structure or componentwith combined functions. Similarly, structures and functionalitypresented as a single component may be implemented as separatecomponents and functions. These and other variations, modifications,additions, and improvements fall within the scope of the subject matterherein.

Some portions of the subject matter discussed herein may be presented interms of algorithms or symbolic representations of operations on datastored as bits or binary digital signals within a memory (e.g., acomputer memory or other machine memory). Such algorithms or symbolicrepresentations are examples of techniques used by those of ordinaryskill in the data processing arts to convey the substance of their workto others skilled in the art. As used herein, an “algorithm” is aself-consistent sequence of operations or similar processing leading toa desired result. In this context, algorithms and operations involvephysical manipulation of physical quantities. Typically, but notnecessarily, such quantities may take the form of electrical, magnetic,or optical signals capable of being stored, accessed, transferred,combined, compared, or otherwise manipulated by a machine. It isconvenient at times, principally for reasons of common usage, to referto such signals using words such as “data,” “content,” “bits,” “values,”“elements,” “symbols,” “characters,” “terms,” “numbers,” “numerals,” orthe like. These words, however, are merely convenient labels and are tobe associated with appropriate physical quantities.

Unless specifically stated otherwise, discussions herein using wordssuch as “accessing,” “processing,” “detecting,” “computing,”“calculating,” “determining,” “generating,” “presenting,” “displaying,”or the like refer to actions or processes performable by a machine(e.g., a computer) that manipulates or transforms data represented asphysical (e.g., electronic, magnetic, or optical) quantities within oneor more memories (e.g., volatile memory, non-volatile memory, or anysuitable combination thereof), registers, or other machine componentsthat receive, store, transmit, or display information. Furthermore,unless specifically stated otherwise, the terms “a” or “an” are hereinused, as is common in patent documents, to include one or more than oneinstance. Finally, as used herein, the conjunction “or” refers to anon-exclusive “or,” unless specifically stated otherwise.

The following enumerated descriptions describe various examples ofmethods, machine-readable media, and systems (e.g., machines, devices,or other apparatus) discussed herein. Any one or more features of anexample, taken in isolation or combination, should be considered asbeing within the disclosure of this application.

A first example provides a method comprising:

causing, by one or more processors of a machine, presentation of a GUIthat indicates a total amount to be reduced in stages by multiplepartial reductions, the GUI including multiple authorization elementseach separately operable to specify a respective corresponding partialreduction among the multiple partial reductions;by one or more processors of the machine and in response to a firstauthorization element among the multiple authorization elements beingoperated to specify a first partial reduction of the total amount alongwith a first account, among multiple available accounts, from which totransact a first authorized amount of the first partial reduction,transacting the first authorized amount from the specified firstaccount;by one or more processors of the machine and in response to thetransacting of the first authorized amount from the specified firstaccount, modifying the GUI to indicate the total amount and its partialreduction by at least the first authorized amount;by one or more processors of the machine and in response to a secondauthorization element among the multiple authorization elements beingoperated to specify a second partial reduction of the reduced totalamount along with a second account, among the multiple availableaccounts, from which to transact a second authorized amount of thesecond partial reduction, transacting the second authorized amount fromthe specified second account; andby one or more processors of the machine and in response to thetransacting of the second authorized amount from the specified secondaccount, modifying the GUI to indicate the total amount and itsreduction by at least the first authorized amount and the secondauthorized amount.

A second example provides a method according to the first example,wherein:

the GUI indicates a list of items and item amounts whose sum is includedin the indicated total amount to be reduced in stages (e.g., stages ofreduction) by the multiple partial reductions;

the transacting of the first authorized amount of the first partialreduction represents a first stage among the stages of reduction of thetotal amount; and the transacting of the second authorized amount of thesecond partial reduction represents a second stage among the stages ofreduction of the total amount.

A third example provides a method according to the first example or thesecond example, further comprising:

detecting a closure of the GUI after the transacting of the firstauthorized amount from the specified first account, the closure of theGUI indicating termination of a first network session; and

in response to initiation of a second network session after themodifying of the GUI to indicate the total amount and its partialreduction by at least the first authorized amount, causing a launch ofthe GUI modified to indicate the total amount and its partial reductionby at least the first authorized amount.

A fourth example provides a method according to the third example,wherein:

the closure of the GUI indicates termination of the first networksession at a device; and

the initiation of the second network session occurs at the device atwhich the first network session terminated.

A fifth example provides a method according to the third example,wherein:

the closure of the GUI indicates termination of the first networksession at a first device; and

the initiation of the second network session occurs at a second devicedistinct from the first device at which the first network sessionterminated.

A sixth example provides a method according to any of the first throughfifth examples, wherein:

the first account among the multiple available accounts corresponds toan accumulated amount gathered from a periodic series of transactionsauthorized to occur periodically.

A seventh example provides a method according to the sixth example,wherein:

the transacting of the first authorized amount from the specified firstaccount includes reducing the accumulated amount gathered from theperiodic series of transactions by the first authorized amount; and themethod further comprises:

in response to the reducing of the accumulated amount gathered from theperiodic series of transactions by the first authorized amount,suspending the periodic series of transactions.

An eighth example provides a method according to any of the firstthrough seventh examples, wherein:

the first account among the multiple available accounts corresponds toan accumulated amount gathered from a periodic series of transactionsauthorized to occur periodically in exchange for a subscription to aperiodic item provided periodically.

A ninth example provides a method according to the eighth example,wherein:

the transacting of the first authorized amount from the specified firstaccount includes reducing the accumulated amount gathered from theperiodic series of transactions by the first authorized amount; and themethod further comprises:

in response to the reducing of the accumulated amount gathered from theperiodic series of transactions by the first authorized amount,suspending the subscription to the periodic item.

A tenth example provides a machine-readable medium (e.g., anon-transitory machine-readable storage medium) comprising instructionsthat, when executed by one or more processors of a machine, cause themachine to perform operations comprising:

causing presentation of a GUI that indicates a total amount to bereduced in stages by multiple partial reductions, the GUI includingmultiple authorization elements each separately operable to specify arespective corresponding partial reduction among the multiple partialreductions;in response to a first authorization element among the multipleauthorization elements of the presented GUI being operated to specify afirst partial reduction of the total amount along with a first account,among multiple available accounts, from which to transact a firstauthorized amount of the first partial reduction, transacting the firstauthorized amount from the specified first account;in response to the transacting of the first authorized amount from thespecified first account, modifying the GUI to indicate the total amountand its partial reduction by at least the first authorized amount;in response to a second authorization element among the multipleauthorization elements being operated to specify a second partialreduction of the reduced total amount along with a second account, amongthe multiple available accounts, from which to transact a secondauthorized amount of the second partial reduction, transacting thesecond authorized amount from the specified second account; andin response to the transacting of the second authorized amount from thespecified second account, modifying the GUI to indicate the total amountand its reduction by at least the first authorized amount and the secondauthorized amount.

An eleventh example provides a machine-readable medium according to thetenth example, wherein:

the GUI indicates a list of items and item amounts whose sum is includedin the indicated total amount to be reduced in stages by the multiplepartial reductions;

the transacting of the first authorized amount of the first partialreduction represents a first stage among the stages of reduction of thetotal amount; and

the transacting of the second authorized amount of the second partialreduction represents a second stage among the stages of reduction of thetotal amount.

A twelfth example provides a machine-readable medium according to thetenth example or the eleventh example, wherein the operations furthercomprise:

detecting a closure of the GUI after the transacting of the firstauthorized amount from the specified first account, the closure of theGUI indicating termination of a first network session; and

in response to initiation of a second network session after themodifying of the GUI to indicate the total amount and its partialreduction by at least the first authorized amount, causing a launch ofthe GUI modified to indicate the total amount and its partial reductionby at least the first authorized amount.

A thirteenth example provides a machine-readable medium according to thetwelfth example, wherein:

the closure of the GUI indicates termination of the first networksession at a device; and

the initiation of the second network session occurs at the device atwhich the first network session terminated.

A fourteenth example provides a machine-readable medium according to thetwelfth example, wherein:

the closure of the GUI indicates termination of the first networksession at a first device; and

the initiation of the second network session occurs at a second devicedistinct from the first device at which the first network sessionterminated.

A fifteenth example provides a machine-readable medium according to anyof the tenth through fourteenth examples, wherein:

the first account among the multiple available accounts corresponds toan accumulated amount gathered from a periodic series of transactionsauthorized to occur periodically.

A sixteenth example provides a system (e.g., a computer system, a servermachine, a mobile device, or any suitable combination thereof)comprising: one or more processors; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by at least oneprocessor among the one or more processors, cause the system to performoperations comprising:

causing presentation of a GUI that indicates a total amount to bereduced in stages by multiple partial reductions, the GUI includingmultiple authorization elements each separately operable to specify arespective corresponding partial reduction among the multiple partialreductions;in response to a first authorization element among the multipleauthorization elements of the presented GUI being operated to specify afirst partial reduction of the total amount along with a first account,among multiple available accounts, from which to transact a firstauthorized amount of the first partial reduction, transacting the firstauthorized amount from the specified first account;in response to the transacting of the first authorized amount from thespecified first account, modifying the GUI to indicate the total amountand its partial reduction by at least the first authorized amount;in response to a second authorization element among the multipleauthorization elements being operated to specify a second partialreduction of the reduced total amount along with a second account, amongthe multiple available accounts, from which to transact a secondauthorized amount of the second partial reduction, transacting thesecond authorized amount from the specified second account; andin response to the transacting of the second authorized amount from thespecified second account, modifying the GUI to indicate the total amountand its reduction by at least the first authorized amount and the secondauthorized amount.

A seventeenth example provides a system according to the sixteenthexample, wherein:

the GUI indicates a list of items and item amounts whose sum is includedin the indicated total amount to be reduced in stages by the multiplepartial reductions;

the transacting of the first authorized amount of the first partialreduction represents a first stage among the stages of reduction of thetotal amount; and

the transacting of the second authorized amount of the second partialreduction represents a second stage among the stages of reduction of thetotal amount.

An eighteenth example provides a system according to the sixteenthexample or the seventeenth example, wherein the operations furthercomprise: detecting a closure of the GUI after the transacting of thefirst authorized amount from the specified first account, the closure ofthe GUI indicating termination of a first network session; and

in response to initiation of a second network session after themodifying of the GUI to indicate the total amount and its partialreduction by at least the first authorized amount, causing a launch ofthe GUI modified to indicate the total amount and its partial reductionby at least the first authorized amount.

A nineteenth example provides a system according to the eighteenthexample, wherein:

the closure of the GUI indicates termination of the first networksession at a device; and

the initiation of the second network session occurs at the device atwhich the first network session terminated.

A twentieth example provides a system according to the eighteenthexample, wherein:

the closure of the GUI indicates termination of the first networksession at a first device; and

the initiation of the second network session occurs at a second devicedistinct from the first device at which the first network sessionterminated.

A twenty-first example provides a method comprising:

causing, by one or more processors of a machine, presentation of a GUIthat indicates a total amount to be reduced in stages by multiplepartial reductions, the GUI including multiple authorization elementseach separately operable to specify a respective corresponding partialreduction among the multiple partial reductions;by one or more processors of the machine and in response to a firstauthorization element among the multiple authorization elements of thepresented GUI being operated to specify a first partial reduction of thetotal amount along with a first account, among multiple availableaccounts, from which to transact a first authorized amount of the firstpartial reduction, transacting the first authorized amount from thespecified first account, the first account among the multiple availableaccounts corresponding to an accumulated amount gathered from a periodicseries of transactions authorized to occur periodically; andby one or more processors of the machine and in response to thetransacting of the first authorized amount from the specified firstaccount, modifying the GUI to indicate the total amount and its partialreduction by at least the first authorized amount taken from theaccumulated amount gathered from the periodic series of transactionsauthorized to occur periodically.

A twenty-second example provides a method according to the twenty-firstexample, wherein:

the transacting of the first authorized amount from the specified firstaccount includes reducing the accumulated amount gathered from theperiodic series of transactions by the first authorized amount; and

the method further comprises:

in response to the reducing of the accumulated amount gathered from theperiodic series of transactions by the first authorized amount,suspending the periodic series of transactions.

A twenty-third example provides a method according to the twenty-firstexample or the twenty-second example, wherein:

the first account among the multiple available accounts corresponds tothe accumulated amount gathered from the periodic series of transactionsauthorized to occur periodically in exchange for a subscription to aperiodic item provided periodically.

A twenty-fourth example provides a method according to the twenty-thirdexample, wherein:

the transacting of the first authorized amount from the specified firstaccount includes reducing the accumulated amount gathered from theperiodic series of transactions by the first authorized amount; and

the method further comprises:

in response to the reducing of the accumulated amount gathered from theperiodic series of transactions by the first authorized amount,suspending the subscription to the periodic item.

A twenty-fifth example provides a method according to any of thetwenty-first through twenty-fourth examples, further comprising:

in response to a second authorization element among the multipleauthorization elements being operated to specify a second partialreduction of the reduced total amount along with a second account, amongthe multiple available accounts, from which to transact a secondauthorized amount of the second partial reduction, transacting thesecond authorized amount from the specified second account; andin response to the transacting of the second authorized amount from thespecified second account, modifying the GUI to indicate the total amountand its reduction by at least the first authorized amount and the secondauthorized amount.

A twenty-sixth example provides a method according to any of thetwenty-first through twenty-fifth examples, wherein:

the GUI indicates a list of items and item amounts whose sum is includedin the indicated total amount to be reduced in stages by the multiplepartial reductions; and

the transacting of the first authorized amount of the first partialreduction represents a first stage among the stages of reduction of thetotal amount.

A twenty-seventh example provides a method according to any of thetwenty-first through twenty-sixth examples, further comprising:

detecting a closure of the GUI after the transacting of the firstauthorized amount from the specified first account, the closure of theGUI indicating termination of a first network session; and

in response to initiation of a second network session after themodifying of the GUI to indicate the total amount and its partialreduction by at least the first authorized amount, causing a launch ofthe GUI modified to indicate the total amount and its partial reductionby at least the first authorized amount.

A twenty-eighth example provides a method according to thetwenty-seventh example, wherein:

the closure of the GUI indicates termination of the first networksession at a device, and

the initiation of the second network session occurs at the device atwhich the first network session terminated.

A twenty-ninth example provides a method according to the twenty-seventhexample, wherein:

the closure of the GUI indicates termination of the first networksession at a first device; and

the initiation of the second network session occurs at a second devicedistinct from the first device at which the first network sessionterminated.

A thirtieth example provides a machine-readable medium (e.g., anon-transitory machine-readable storage medium) comprising instructionsthat, when executed by one or more processors of a machine, cause themachine to perform operations comprising:

causing presentation of a GUI that indicates a total amount to bereduced in stages by multiple partial reductions, the GUI includingmultiple authorization elements each separately operable to specify arespective corresponding partial reduction among the multiple partialreductions;in response to a first authorization element among the multipleauthorization elements of the presented GUI being operated to specify afirst partial reduction of the total amount along with a first account,among multiple available accounts, from which to transact a firstauthorized amount of the first partial reduction, transacting the firstauthorized amount from the specified first account, the first accountamong the multiple available accounts corresponding to an accumulatedamount gathered from a periodic series of transactions authorized tooccur periodically; andin response to the transacting of the first authorized amount from thespecified first account, modifying the GUI to indicate the total amountand its partial reduction by at least the first authorized amount takenfrom the accumulated amount gathered from the periodic series oftransactions authorized to occur periodically.

A thirty-first example provides a machine-readable medium according tothe thirtieth example, wherein:

the transacting of the first authorized amount from the specified firstaccount includes reducing the accumulated amount gathered from theperiodic series of transactions by the first authorized amount; and theoperations further comprise:

in response to the reducing of the accumulated amount gathered from theperiodic series of transactions by the first authorized amount,suspending the periodic series of transactions.

A thirty-second example provides a machine-readable medium according tothe thirtieth example or the thirty-first example, wherein:

the first account among the multiple available accounts corresponds tothe accumulated amount gathered from the periodic series of transactionsauthorized to occur periodically in exchange for a subscription to aperiodic item provided periodically.

A thirty-third example provides a machine-readable medium according tothe thirty-second example, wherein:

the transacting of the first authorized amount from the specified firstaccount includes reducing the accumulated amount gathered from theperiodic series of transactions by the first authorized amount; and theoperations further comprise:

in response to the reducing of the accumulated amount gathered from theperiodic series of transactions by the first authorized amount,suspending the subscription to the periodic item.

A thirty-fourth example provides a machine-readable medium according toany of the thirtieth through thirty-third examples, wherein theoperations further comprise:

in response to a second authorization element among the multipleauthorization elements being operated to specify a second partialreduction of the reduced total amount along with a second account, amongthe multiple available accounts, from which to transact a secondauthorized amount of the second partial reduction, transacting thesecond authorized amount from the specified second account; andin response to the transacting of the second authorized amount from thespecified second account, modifying the GUI to indicate the total amountand its reduction by at least the first authorized amount and the secondauthorized amount.

A thirty-fifth example provides a machine-readable medium according toany of the thirtieth through thirty-fourth examples, wherein:

the GUI indicates a list of items and item amounts whose sum is includedin the indicated total amount to be reduced in stages by the multiplepartial reductions; and

the transacting of the first authorized amount of the first partialreduction represents a first stage among the stages of reduction of thetotal amount.

A thirty-sixth example provides a system (e.g., a computer system, aserver machine, a mobile device, or any suitable combination thereof)comprising: one or more processors; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by at least oneprocessor among the one or more processors, cause the system to performoperations comprising:

causing presentation of a graphical user interface (GUI) that indicatesa total amount to be reduced in stages by multiple partial reductions,the GUI including multiple authorization elements each separatelyoperable to specify a respective corresponding partial reduction amongthe multiple partial reductions;in response to a first authorization element among the multipleauthorization elements of the presented GUI being operated to specify afirst partial reduction of the total amount along with a first account,among multiple available accounts, from which to transact a firstauthorized amount of the first partial reduction, transacting the firstauthorized amount from the specified first account, the first accountamong the multiple available accounts corresponding to an accumulatedamount gathered from a periodic series of transactions authorized tooccur periodically; andin response to the transacting of the first authorized amount from thespecified first account, modifying the GUI to indicate the total amountand its partial reduction by at least the first authorized amount takenfrom the accumulated amount gathered from the periodic series oftransactions authorized to occur periodically.

A thirty-seventh example provides a system according to the thirty-sixthexample, wherein:

the transacting of the first authorized amount from the specified firstaccount includes reducing the accumulated amount gathered from theperiodic series of transactions by the first authorized amount; and

the operations further comprise:

in response to the reducing of the accumulated amount gathered from theperiodic series of transactions by the first authorized amount,suspending the periodic series of transactions.

A thirty-eighth example provides a system according to the thirty-sixthexample or the thirty-seventh example, wherein:

the first account among the multiple available accounts corresponds tothe accumulated amount gathered from the periodic series of transactionsauthorized to occur periodically in exchange for a subscription to aperiodic item provided periodically.

A thirty-ninth example provides a system according to the thirty-eighthexample, wherein:

the transacting of the first authorized amount from the specified firstaccount includes reducing the accumulated amount gathered from theperiodic series of transactions by the first authorized amount; and

the operations further comprise:

in response to the reducing of the accumulated amount gathered from theperiodic series of transactions by the first authorized amount,suspending the subscription to the periodic item.

A fortieth example provides a system according to any of thethirty-sixth through thirty-ninth examples, wherein the operationsfurther comprise:

in response to a second authorization element among the multipleauthorization elements being operated to specify a second partialreduction of the reduced total amount along with a second account, amongthe multiple available accounts, from which to transact a secondauthorized amount of the second partial reduction, transacting thesecond authorized amount from the specified second account; andin response to the transacting of the second authorized amount from thespecified second account, modifying the GUI to indicate the total amountand its reduction by at least the first authorized amount and the secondauthorized amount.

A forty-first example provides a carrier medium carryingmachine-readable instructions for controlling a machine to carry out theoperations (e.g., method operations) performed in any one of thepreviously described examples.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: causing, by one or moreprocessors of a machine, presentation of a graphical user interface(GUI) that indicates a total amount to be reduced in stages by multiplepartial reductions, the GUI including multiple authorization elementseach separately operable to specify a respective corresponding partialreduction among the multiple partial reductions; by one or moreprocessors of the machine and in response to a first authorizationelement among the multiple authorization elements being operated tospecify a first partial reduction of the total amount along with a firstaccount, among multiple available accounts, from which to transact afirst authorized amount of the first partial reduction, transacting thefirst authorized amount from the specified first account; by one or moreprocessors of the machine and in response to the transacting of thefirst authorized amount from the specified first account, modifying theGUI to indicate the total amount and its partial reduction by at leastthe first authorized amount; by one or more processors of the machine,detecting a closure of the GUI at a first device after the transactingof the first authorized amount from the specified first account, theclosure of the GUI indicating termination of a first network session atthe first device; by one or more processors of the machine, in responseto initiation of a second network session at a second device distinctfrom the first device at which the first network session terminated andafter the modifying of the GUI to indicate the total amount and itspartial reduction b at least the first authorized amount, causing alaunch of the GUI at the second device, the GUI being modified toindicate the total amount and its partial reduction by at least thefirst authorized amount; by one or more processors of the machine and inresponse to a second authorization element among the multipleauthorization elements being operated to specify a second partialreduction of the reduced total amount along with a second account, amongthe multiple available accounts, from which to transact a secondauthorized amount of the second partial reduction, transacting thesecond authorized amount from the specified second account; and by oneor more processors of the machine and in response to the transacting ofthe second authorized amount from the specified second account,modifying the GUI to indicate the total amount and its reduction by atleast the first authorized amount and the second authorized amount. 2.The method of claim 1, wherein: the GUI indicates a list of items anditem amounts whose sum is included in the indicated total amount to bereduced in stages by the multiple partial reductions; the transacting ofthe first authorized amount of the first partial reduction represents afirst stage among the stages of reduction of the total amount; and thetransacting of the second authorized amount of the second partialreduction represents a second stage among the stages of reduction of thetotal amount.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein: the first account amongthe multiple available accounts corresponds to an accumulated amountgathered from a periodic series of transactions authorized to occurperiodically.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein: the transacting of thefirst authorized amount from the specified first account includesreducing the accumulated amount gathered from the periodic series oftransactions by the first authorized amount; and the method furthercomprises: in response to the reducing of the accumulated amountgathered from the periodic series of transactions by the firstauthorized amount, suspending the periodic series of transactions. 5.The method of claim 1, wherein: the first account among the multipleavailable accounts corresponds to an accumulated amount gathered from aperiodic series of transactions authorized to occur periodically inexchange for a subscription to a periodic item provided periodically. 6.The method of claim 5, wherein: the transacting of the first authorizedamount from the specified first account includes reducing theaccumulated amount gathered from the periodic series of transactions bythe first authorized amount; and the method further comprises: inresponse to the reducing of the accumulated amount gathered from theperiodic series of transactions by the first authorized amount,suspending the subscription to the periodic item.
 7. A non-transitorymachine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, whenexecuted by one or more processors of a machine, cause the machine toperform operations comprising: causing presentation of a graphical userinterface (GUI) that indicates a total amount to be reduced in stages bymultiple partial reductions, the GUI including multiple authorizationelements each separately operable to specify a respective correspondingpartial reduction among the multiple partial reductions; in response toa first authorization element among the multiple authorization elementsof the presented GUI being operated to specify a first partial reductionof the total amount along with a first account, among multiple availableaccounts, from which to transact a first authorized amount of the firstpartial reduction, transacting the first authorized amount from thespecified first account; in response to the transacting of the firstauthorized amount from the specified first account, modifying the GUI toindicate the total amount and its partial reduction by at least thefirst authorized amount; by one or more processors of the machine,detecting a closure of the GUI at a first device after the transactingof the first authorized amount from the specified first account, theclosure of the GUI indicating termination of a first network session atthe first device; by one or more processors of the machine, in responseto initiation of a second network session at a second device distinctfrom the first device at which the first network session terminated andafter the modifying of the GUI to indicate the total amount and itspartial reduction by at least the first authorized amount, causing alaunch of the GUI at the second device, the GUI being modified toindicate the total amount and its partial reduction by at least thefirst authorized amount; in response to a second authorization elementamong the multiple authorization elements being operated to specify asecond partial reduction of the reduced total amount along with a secondaccount, among the multiple available accounts, from which to transact asecond authorized amount of the second partial reduction, transactingthe second authorized amount from the specified second account; and inresponse to the transacting of the second authorized amount from thespecified second account, modifying the GUI to indicate the total amountand its reduction by at least the first authorized amount and the secondauthorized amount.
 8. The non-transitory machine-readable storage mediumof claim 7, wherein: the GUI indicates a list of items and item amountswhose sum is included in the indicated total amount to be reduced instages by the multiple partial reductions; the transacting of the firstauthorized amount of the first partial reduction represents a firststage among the stages of reduction of the total amount; and thetransacting of the second authorized amount of the second partialreduction represents a second stage among the stages of reduction of thetotal amount.
 9. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium ofclaim 7, wherein: the first account among the multiple availableaccounts corresponds to an accumulated amount gathered from a periodicseries of transactions authorized to occur periodically.
 10. A systemcomprising: one or more processors; and a memory storing instructionsthat, when executed by at least one processor among the one or moreprocessors, cause the system to perform operations comprising: causingpresentation of a graphical user interface (GUI) that indicates a totalamount to be reduced in stages by multiple partial reductions, the GUIincluding multiple authorization elements each separately operable tospecify a respective corresponding partial reduction among the multiplepartial reductions; in response to a first authorization element amongthe multiple authorization elements of the presented GUI being operatedto specify a first partial reduction of the total amount along with afirst account, among multiple available accounts, from which to transacta first authorized amount of the first partial reduction, transactingthe first authorized amount from the specified first account; inresponse to the transacting of the first authorized amount from thespecified first account, modifying the GUI to indicate the total amountand its partial reduction by at least the first authorized amount;detecting a closure of the GUI at a first device after the transactingof the first authorized amount from the specified first account, theclosure of the GUI indicating termination of a first network session atthe first device; in response to initiation of a second network sessionat a second device distinct from the first device at which the firstnetwork session terminated and after the modifying of the GUI toindicate the total amount and its partial reduction by at least thefirst authorized amount, causing a launch of the GUI at the seconddevice, the GUI being modified to indicate the total amount and itspartial reduction by at least the first authorized amount; in responseto a second authorization element among the multiple authorizationelements being operated to specify a second partial reduction of thereduced total amount along with a second account, among the multipleavailable accounts, from which to transact a second authorized amount ofthe second partial reduction, transacting the second authorized amountfrom the specified second account; and in response to the transacting ofthe second authorized amount from the specified second account,modifying the GUI to indicate the total amount and its reduction by atleast the first authorized amount and the second authorized amount. 11.The system of claim 10, wherein: the GUI indicates a list of items anditem amounts whose sum is included in the indicated total amount to bereduced in stages by the multiple partial reductions; the transacting ofthe first authorized amount of the first partial reduction represents afirst stage among the stages of reduction of the total amount; and thetransacting of the second authorized amount of the second partialreduction represents a second stage among the stages of reduction of thetotal amount.